Submarine Off New Zealand Coast

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 52, 4 March 1944, Page 5

Submarine Off New Zealand Coast

Torpedo Misses the Rangatira (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, March 3. The presence of an enemy submarine off the New Zealand coast, which had resulted in a suspension of the inter-island ferry service on Wednesday and the closing of a number of ports, was the subject of a statement to-day by the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser). The Premier said he was taking the step of publicly announcing this danger so as to let the people know the reason why the Wellington-Lyttelton, Wel-lington-Nelson and Wellington-Picton steamers were not running, and also as a warning against the dangers of travelling by sea at present. Even if the Navy authorities considered that boats could proceed without unreasonable risk, intending passengers should understand that there could be no assurance of immunity from attack by submarine, that there could be no guarantee of safety, and that they themselves voluntarily took the measure of risk involved. The Prime Minister added that he wished to pay a warm tribute to the great promptitude and efficiency with which the naval authorities had acted in the matter. As the result of a warning of the probability that a submarine might be off the coast, they had ensured that the inter-island ferry steamer Rangatira had taken all precautionary measures against the possibility of an attack. TORPEDO PASSES BEHIND STERN That the need for these measures was well founded was proved by the fact that at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday members of the gun crew reported that a torpedo had passed behind the stern of the vessel. From a very early hour on Wednesday morning the Navy and the Air Force, which also had risen to the occasion with great promptitude and efficiency, cooperated in patrols in search of the submarine. One pilot had reported seeing a good distance out at sea a suspicious-looking object shaped like a submarine showing below the surface and obviously submerging. Unfortunately the bad weather of yesterday and to-day had interrupted the search, which would, however, be continued to the fullest practicable extent. 44 1 would like to add,” said Mr. Fraser, “that although the Pacific battle area has moved further from our shore New Zealand is still in the war zone and we may not continue to be as fortunate as we have been up to the present in avoiding attacks on our shipping, with consequent danger of serious loss of life.”